Slice brings more than pizza to Base Village

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SNOWMASS VILLAGE - If there's one kind of comfort food that could never be overdone, pizza just might be it. When it comes to a doughy, cheesy, saucy and scrumptious pie in the morning noon or night, it doesn't matter if there's one on every corner - pizza business is good business. So, how exactly do we join hands in this delightful epiphany and spread our love for pie across the Village?

Enter David Dugan and Scott Calliham, the sires behind our beloved Base Camp and now Slice - the newest and first-ever pizza joint to open its doors in Base Village. Simply make your way over to the base, look for the red barn, take the elevator or stairs up to the top and voilà - a premium selection of homemade pizzas and Italian recipes await you. Don't feel like moving from the couch? Pick up the phone and give them a call at 970-923-APIE. They deliver from the Mall all the way down to Highway 82.

Oh OK, so you need a preview of the what's in store before you make a commitment? I gotcha. Let's start with the vibe. Deep reds are paired with dark browns and beiges, separated by a light wooden floor and walnut-colored tables topped with spices and wooden spinners to hold the pies. A collection of Polaroid pictures line the walls like a memory of your favorite college hangout, and a full bar with tapped kegs, premium liquors and wines opens to a kitchen emanating a bouquet of fresh tomatoes, herbs and seasonings.

Need a rundown on the menu? I'll let Slice owner David Dugan take it from here.

Snowmass Sun: Can you describe the ingredients of the appetizer and pizza you made for me today? What other dishes do you offer?

David Dugan: The appetizer is called "Antipasto Gigante," and it's a plate of prosciutto, capicola, salami, buffalo mozzarella, peppers, artichoke hearts, pickled vegetables and Italian bread. The pizza is called The Mammoth, and it's made with Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, meatballs and crispy prosciutto with our signature Italian sauce. Our dishes are recipes passed down through generations, including crab and cremini al forno, a spicy meatball sub, ravioli Bolognese and much more.

SS: As far as recipes and ingredients go, who do you give credit to? What do you think separates Slice from other pizza places?

DD: I give a lot of credit to our head chef Shaun Perry. He has an extensive Italian background and helped us come up with a lot of the dishes and pizza combinations that aren't just delicious, but original and distinct. I think the main thing that separates us is we aren't just another pizza place that has some other stuff on the menu, but an Italian restaurant that specializes in pizza.

SS: Obviously Base Camp and Slice are very different entities. What made you and Scott Calliham come up with the concept to open a pizza place?

DD: With the recent closing of Goodfellows, we found there to be a need for not just a pizza place, but a restaurant in Base Village that is family-friendly and serves really high-quality food. Some of the kitchen guys from Goodfellows (Chase and Andrew Bowlby, Jed Goodwin, and Bailey Sansom) actually came on board with us as well, which brings a really great dynamic to Slice.

SS: How do you think Slice compares to the other pizza places in the Village?

DD: When it comes to pizza, I think there's always room for one more. It's not really a matter of competition in my eyes. We have a good relationship with all of them. Obviously we want to be the best we can be, but that's not to say the others aren't doing a great job too.

SS: What would you say you are most proud of so far at Slice?

DD: I would say our desserts. With homemade cannolis, tiramisu and fresh-baked cookies from our pastry chef Ben Hollister, I think we have the best desserts in the Village. Also, with a lot of space, a nice wine selection and a comfortable atmosphere, we are receiving a lot of good feedback from locals and guests. On the other hand, we've only been open for a month, so we're not giving one another high fives yet - we are always looking for ways to improve and get better.